The 2nd Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development

'Corruption in elite sport: what’s the impact on community sport for development initiatives?'

To mark the 2017 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace the Commonwealth Secretariat is convening the 2nd Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development.

Two teams of experts and personalities drawn from across the Commonwealth will provide a reflective and entertaining debate on the motion:

'Corruption in elite sport undermines the potential to promote development and peace through community sports’

Listen to the debate as it happened:

 

Panellists for the 2nd Commonwealth Debate

Sport has been described as an ‘important enabler of sustainable development’ in the global Sustainable Development Goals framework.

Analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Secretariat has highlighted the potential for sport-based approaches to contribute to achieving goals on health, education, gender equality, economic development and social cohesion.

However, as corruption and abuse scandals, doping controversies and governance problems in sport become more prominent a number of questions arise:

• Do these corruption and cheating controversies affect the potential of sport to make a positive impact at a community level?
• Should stakeholders focused on community-level sport for development play a role in addressing growing sport integrity issues?
• What action do governments, sporting bodies and the sport for development movement need to take to maximise the positive contribution of sport to sustainable development?

The 2nd Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development will consider these questions and other burning issues related to sport and sustainable development.

Representatives of member Governments, will join leaders in the sport and development field, senior officials and academics, for the Debate.

Australia House is being made available by the kind permission of the Australian High Commission. Please note the Debate is ticketed and by invitation only.

Entrance to Australian House will require a security check and presentation of official photographic identification.

Enhancing the Contribution of Sport to the Sustainable Development Goals

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP)

IDSDP recognises the positive role sport can play as enabler of sustainable development. The Commonwealth Debate was inaugurated in 2016 to mark IDSDP. Look back at the 1st Commonwealth Debate, held at the High Commission of South Africa to the UK.